Across the Alps, some forty minutes after the Chrono des Nations, the 2026 cycling season officially came to a close on Sunday. At the Veneto Classic, Clément Berthet made a strong impression, continuing the form he had shown in his recent races. However, like Maxime Decomble in Les Herbiers, he had to settle for fourth place in Bassano del Grappa after an intense, wide-open race. Having spent a long time in the breakaway alongside his teammate, Brieuc Rolland narrowly missed out on a top-10 finish, taking 12th place. The racing calendar is now over: time for the winter break.
In a fitting conclusion to the season, Groupama-FDJ United headed to Bassano del Grappa, home of Wilier Triestina, to ride its final kilometres of the year on Sunday at the Veneto Classic. Coming just hours after the Tour of Guangxi and taking place at the same time as the Chrono des Nations, the Italian race was, in effect, the team’s final opportunity to secure a result in 2026. To do so, however, the riders had to tackle a demanding, undulating course featuring six ascents of the cobbled climb of La Tisa (400 metres at 11%), followed by the final difficulties at Diesel Farm (1.2 km at 10.2%) and on Strada Soarda (450 metres at 10%). It was a tough challenge, but the French team was determined to approach the race in the right way. “Just under 160 kilometres were on the program, and we knew it was going to be an all-out race, just like last year,” explained Stéphane Goubert. “The riders were straight into the action, and Clément quickly found himself at the front. That wasn’t necessarily the plan, but we wanted to be involved from the very start, even for him.”
“We did what we had planned” – Stéphane Goubert
After around 30 kilometres, the French climber made his way to the front, and the move paid off. “I told Clément to manage his effort and not try to increase the gap,” Stéphane explained. “Being ahead of the race allowed him to reach the first ascent of the cobbled climb, which he didn’t know, at the front. From there, he simply had to wait for the strongest riders to come back.” And that is exactly what happened, as a group of just under twenty riders caught up, including Brieuc Rolland. With around 100 kilometres remaining, the race began to take shape. “Some teams tried to control things in the peloton, but almost all the sports directors, myself included, moved up to the front as soon as the gap went over a minute,” Stéphane emphasized. “We knew the race would be decided up front.” At the halfway point, the leading group had extended its advantage to more than two minutes, before the attacks began among the breakaway riders. Clément Berthet and Brieuc Rolland first managed to stay in contention when world champion Brandon McNulty accelerated on the second ascent of La Tisa.
Two laps later, however, the American and Anthon Charmig managed to open up a significant gap. “From that point on, it became a tactical race behind them, because UAE played the team game with its three other riders,” Stéphane explained. On the penultimate ascent of La Tisa, Clément Berthet nevertheless launched a powerful effort, breaking clear of the chasing group alongside Quinten Hermans and Pavel Sivakov, while Brieuc Rolland covered his teammate’s attack from the next group back. Twelve kilometres later, on the final cobbled ascent, the Frenchman dug deep to stay in contact with Hermans, Sivakov and, by then, Cosnefroy. The latter then forced him to take turns as they approached the decisive gravel climb of Diesel Road. Still looking strong, Clément Berthet still managed to drop his rivals, with the exception of Sivakov, before the descent, which was also covered in gravel. With a podium finish within reach, the rider from Jura finally cracked in the closing kilometres against his compatriot. “Clément was just missing that little bit extra, which is understandable against a rider like Sivakov, who rode less and benefited from his team’s tactics,” Stéphane concluded. “That said, we have no regrets. We did what we had planned, and we played an active role in the race.”
“We were really determined to finish on a high” – Stéphane Goubert
At the finish, Clément Berthet secured an excellent fourth place, confirming the strong form he has displayed since returning to competition after the Vuelta a España. “There are fourth places you have to be satisfied with,” Stéphane concluded. “We couldn’t have done any better. We were disappointed on Wednesday at the Giro del Veneto because there was more we could have achieved, and we were really determined to finish on a high. Clément’s arrival, with his fresher legs, naturally gave us a boost. I think we made the most of our strengths to achieve the best possible result, and it’s always better to end the season with a race like this one.”
